


Turkey Jive:  A 'Working Man' One-Shot

by AKMars



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-25
Updated: 2012-11-25
Packaged: 2017-11-19 12:39:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/573357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKMars/pseuds/AKMars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rated T for some swearing and sexual innuendos</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turkey Jive:  A 'Working Man' One-Shot

Title: Turkey Jive: A 'Working Man' One-Shot  
Rating: PG (mild swearing and sexual innuendo. Also, forgive the use of a 'politically incorrect' term in my defense it was uttered by a nine-year old....)  
Pairing: Fusco/OFC  
Characters: Lionel Fusco, Mickey Fusco  
Word Count: 1390

 

NOTES: Thanksgiving...with a twist of _lion?!_

 

**poipoipoipoipoipoipoipoipoipoi**

 

_Friday afternoon, week before Thanksgiving; Fusco apartment_

"You mean you're the-"

" _Turkey....._ " From the disgust in his voice, Mickey might have just as well said _roadkill_ or worse _fairy-princess_.

Lionel's lips worked as he fought to hold in a smile. He would never laugh at his son's misery but the cosmic unfairness of being cast as the turkey in his class' Thanksgiving pageant was not lost on the detective. _Poor kid, he’s finally experiencing Round One of ’The Fusco Effect’. I hope it doesn’t get too much worse for him._

 

Lionel knew only too well what it was like to be the universe’s ’Whipping boy, scapegoat and all-around bitch’. His own dad had sat him down at the tender age of fourteen and tried to explain _’The Fusco Effect’._

_“Lionel, since the first Fusco ancestor crawled out of the swamp, we’ve been screwed by everything that walks, talks and carries a big stick....in EVERY orifice.” His father sighed._

_“Doesn’t matter how hard we work, keep our noses clean or suck up to the important people....Fusco men will always wind up squashed on the very bottom of the pile; usually with our shorts around our ankles and a sore ass.” Fusco Sr. looked serious._

_“Your mom would have my balls for talkin’ to you like this but you’re a man now, son....it’s time you realized the landfill the rest of your life is gonna be!”_

 

The teenager he had been just rolled his eyes and mumbled something about his old man being crazy. _I wish I’d listened to pop....the cop sighed. It would have saved me a shitload of headaches._

Lionel watched his son slump down further into the sofa, scowling down at the stapled pages of his script as if they’d just given him the finger. _I wish more that Mick won’t have to deal with all the garbage I did._ He clapped a hand on the boy’s shoulder, his tone encouraging.

“Hey, Danni’s gonna be here soon...she’s staying over the week for Thanksgiving, you’ll like-”

“Is she gonna come to the pageant with you?”

“Yeah, of course....she wouldn’t miss it.”

Mickey’s mouth set in a stubborn line, his arms crossed and his whole posture shouting _‘You can’t make me!’_ “Then I’m not doing it.”

“Mick....”

“No....I’m not being a turkey!”

“Why not, turkeys are cool!”

Both the Fuscos jumped, neither one hearing the door open and close as Danni Briggs walked in on the tag end of their conversation.

“Danni!” Mickey jumped up and gave her a hug, his bad mood banished by his second favorite grownup’s arrival.

“Hey Squirt.” The street artist hugged him back, ruffling his wavy hair and grinning. She looked over the top of his head to his father, her eyes smiling. “Hey Detective Actually.”

“Hey yourself, Danni-girl.” Lionel wrapped both of them up in a big hug, leaning in to give the woman a long, sweet kiss.

“You guys gonna get all mushy?” Mickey demanded, disentangling himself from the family hug.

Both grownups laughed and Danni picked up the shopping bags she’d set on the carpet into the kitchen. “Not much Mick.” She began pulling out items and lining them up on the counter. “Before I get shoulder deep in trying to figure out our T-day menu, who’s going to be a turkey?”

Evincing great reluctance the younger Fusco, with a natural dramatic flair that would have had Danni’s drama professor at Julliard weeping with joy at his abilities, related the story of having the role of ‘poultry’ dumped on him.

When he finished, the boy looked up at her with a set of puppy-dog eyes that would have done any mournful Labrador proud; clearly expecting righteous outrage on her part at the unfair treatment he’d received.

Danni was having none of it. “You’re the turkey? You’ve just been given the _lead role_ in your class’ Thanksgiving pageant and you’re _unhappy_?” She snorted outright at him.

“Michael James Fusco, I’d have given my right arm and both legs to be the turkey in my fourth grade pageant....heck I’d give all three limbs to do it now!!”

Mickey stared at Danni with his mouth hanging open as if she’d lost her mind. He took a deep breath and, because he was at heart a good kid and pretty patient, tried once again to explain the situation to her. “Danni....I’m supposed to be the turkey. Not the pilgrim captain or the indian chief.....I’m a _stupid bird!_ ”

“May I see your script?”

Mickey handed over the offensive document and waited while the performer read it through. Her lips twitched a couple of times and she raised her eyebrows at the outrageously-heroic dialogue of the leader of the pilgrims. She rolled an eye at the boy. “Who wrote this?”

“Mrs. Bedford, my teacher.”

“Hmmmm....let me guess she’s about oh....fifty-something and really, _really_ likes the theatre?”

“She’s really old yeah...she’s got more gray hair than you do.”

“Michael-James!” Lionel was mortified. He’d been watching the interaction between his son and Danni with the avid interest but he had to speak up. _‘The Fusco Effect’ again...this time with the ladies..._

 

Danni just laughed. “I tell you what Squirt. You and your dad help me with dinner tonight and I’ll help you out with your role...deal?”

Mickey’s face broke into a pleased smile. He knew what a good performer Danni was and if anyone could make being a talking turkey better it was her. “Deal!!”

**poipoipoipoipoipoipoipoipoipoi**

　

_Evening, Tuesday before Thanksgiving; PS 71, The Bronx_

 

The outside doors of PS 71’s auditorium were filled with the sound of laughter and recounted dialogue as the crowd of parents and sibling streamed onto the sidewalk. Stray comments floated back to the building.

“Oh my God, wasn’t the kid doing the turkey hilarious?”

“Don’t get me wrong, my son is very talented but that boy...what’s his name Michael? He’s a natural!”

“It dragged so much with the other kids forgetting their lines I just wanted to yell out ‘let the turkey talk again!’ he was a hoot!”

Lionel and Danni stood off to one side waiting for Mickey and his classmates to meet their parents after changing into their street clothes. The detective gave the woman at his side a big hug, nuzzling her ear.

“Danielle Briggs you are a friggin’ genius, you know that?!”

“I know, but you can keep telling me just so I don’t forget.” Danni laughed at him, kissing his cheek. “Mickey deserves all the credit...he worked hard and it paid off!”

“Your directing though...and his teacher couldn‘t say a word against his acting.”

“That’s why I didn’t change a single line she wrote. That script was her baby....I just skewed its _point of view_ a bit.”

“For the better...the rest of the play sucked.”

“Lionel!” Danni hushed him although she was giggling too. “It did but don’t let anyone else hear you say that....”

Mickey emerged from the dressing rooms surrounded by his friends, all of them chattering together and laughing. The boys thought he was a riot and wished they’d gotten picked to be the turkey. The girls were envious of his costume, it was so well-made. The younger Fusco spied his grown ups and said goodbye to the other kids.

He ran up and gave Danni a huge hug. “Thank you!!”

“You did all the work, Mick. I’m really proud of you!!”

“It was fun! Can I really keep the costume? Me and Charlie Lopez want to trick or treat next year together...him as a zombie pilgrim and me as the turkey.”

“You bet, Mickey. And we will be getting pictures!”

“You just created a monster, you know...” Lionel muttered. Danni just kissed him again. 

“Ready to get ice cream to celebrate, Squirt?”

“You betcha!” Mickey hefted his hockey bag, all his sportsgear dumped out on his bedroom floor in order to make room for the bird costume, over his shoulder and they walked out to the car.

“This is the best Thanksgiving _ever!_ ” the boy proclaimed, grinning happily.

Lionel put his arm around his love’s waist and held her close. “It sure is.” he whispered in her ear. “For more reasons than one, D.” _There’s one in your eye ‘Fusco Effect’... Me and Mickey, we’ve got Danni on our side and you don‘t stand a chance!_

**poipoipoipoipoipoipoipoipoipoi**


End file.
